Smokey Sazerac

My husband loves Sazerac and if you can pull off a Smokey Sazerac, he will be the happiest man. And I think, anyone with a love for a good strong drink will love it. He tried it for the first time in Chicago with a friend (Hey you, Nandita!!!) and he was hooked.

This is one strong drink. (there is Rye Whiskey, Bitters and Absinthe, so yeah!!!) . I got two bottles of absinthe from Prague thinking that I will make some drinks using them and this is my first try. If you are interested to know the link between Absinthe and Prague, read about it here – Prague trip.

Thought of trying my hand on this drink on Father’s day. Surprisingly it came out pretty good. In Prague he had ordered this drink at a bar and I was watching the bartender keenly. Though I can’t imitate his mastery behind the bar, I’m sharing below how I tried it. I’m calling it a Smokey Sazerac because, I smoked the Lemon peel and added it to the drink to give it that Smokey effect.

Here is a little history on Sazerac.

Smokey Sazerac

In 1838, Antoine Amedie Peychaud, owner of a New Orleans apothecary, treated his friends to brandy toddies of his own recipe, including his “Peychaud’s Bitters,” made from a secret family recipe. The toddies were made using a double-ended egg cup as a measuring cup or jigger, then known as a “coquetier” (pronounced “ko-k-tay”), from which the word “cocktail” was derived. Thus, the world’s first cocktail was born!

By 1850, the Sazerac Cocktail, made with Sazerac French brandy and Peychaud’s Bitters, was immensely popular, and became the first “branded” cocktail. In 1873, the recipe for the Sazerac Cocktail was altered to replace the French brandy with American Rye whiskey, and a dash of absinthe was added.

Smokey Sazerac

INGREDIENTS:

1 cube sugar

2 ounces Sazerac Rye Whiskey

¼ ounce Absinthe

3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

3 dashes of Lemon Bitters

Lemon peel

METHOD:

Two good looking glasses :). The ones I’m using in the post are hand blown glasses, a friend got those for me from Mexico.

In the first glass, put some ice.

In a second glass place the sugar cube and add the Peychaud’s Bitters to it, then crush the sugar cube

Add the Rye Whiskey to the second glass containing the Peychaud’s Bitters and sugar

Empty the ice from the first glass and coat the glass with the Absinthe, then discard the remaining Absinthe

Empty the whiskey/bitters/sugar mixture from the second glass into the first glass and garnish with a Smoky lemon peel

PS – You will need a designated driver after having this drink. No Kidding!

Really sounds interesting. I remember reading that absinthe was a very popular drink in the old southern historical I used to read. I’d love to have just a sip — I”m not a real strong drink aficionado. Enjoyed the story.

It never ceases to amaze me how much history there is to cocktails. Fascinating subject indeed, I can see why bloggers like to talk about it. This one looks good and potent, I imagine it’s very good if you need reviving from a cold lol! I love that glass by the way – so unusual and fabulous for a short cocktail 😀

I love a strong cocktail and this looks fabulous! We tried Absinthe at a cocktail bar in an old Seattle hotel….it’s the only place that served it at the time. He did the whole show…I can’t recall exactly how it went but it was a process to serve it and it was devine! Love your photo’s…come 5 o’clock I’ll be wishing I had one of these!

I have never heard of Sazerac before- I love that you included the history as well. I’ll have to check with my husband and see if he’s had it before- may be something to add to the list of things to try.

I’ve been to Prague few times but have tried only their famous Beton (Becherovka+Tonic). I’m going to visit that lovely city in November, so I will definitely try this cocktail. Thanks a bunch for sharing!

Love discovering new drinks and I’ve never heard of the Sazerac cocktail. Great to read the fascinating history about the drink. This does sound extremely strong, though quite interesting as well. I’d love to try it sometime. Cheers!